For official use Technical Report Series DISTRICT GROUNDWATER BROCHURE CUDDALORE DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU V.DINAGARAN, SCIENTIST-D Government of India Ministry of Water Resources Central Ground Water Board South Eastern Coastal Region Chennai October 2009 DISTRICT AT A GLANCE (CUDDALORE DISTRICT) S.NO ITEMS STATISTICS 1. GENERAL INFORMATION i. Geographical area (Sq.km) 3677.81 ii. Administrative Divisions as on 31-3-2007 Number of Tehsils 6 Number of Blocks 13 Number of Panchayats 682 Number of Villages 898 iii. Population (as on 2001 Censes) Total Population 22,85395 Male 11,50908 Female 11,34487 iv. Average Annual Rainfall (mm) 1050 to 1400 mm (1901-2000) 2. GEOMORPHOLOGY i. Major physiographic Units The district is more or less plain terrain with small elevated up lands and lateritic hillocks and prominent coastal zone. ii. Major Drainages Pennaiyar, Gadilam and Vellar 3. LAND USE (Ha) during 2005-06 i. Forest area 1415 ii. Net area sown 1219891 iii. Cultivable waste 6072 4. MAJOR SOIL TYPES Black, Red, Ferruginous and Arenacious 5. AREA UNDER PRINCIPAL CROPS 1. Paddy – 113529 Ha 63% (AS ON 31.3.2006) 2. Sugarcane – 37228 Ha. 20% 3. Groundnut – 21389 Ha. 6% 4. Coconut – 2722 Ha. 1% 5. Others – 59537 Ha. 6% 6. IRRIGATION BY DIFFERENT Number Area irrigated SOURCES (During 2005-06) (Ha) i. Dug wells 11263 9558 ii. Tube wells 30687 114011 iii. Tanks 594 7987 iv. Canals 270 49006 v. Other Sources 21 230 vi. Net irrigated area (Ha) 155013 vii. Gross irrigated area (Ha) 180792 7. NUMBERS OF GROUND WATER MONITORING WELLS OF CGWB (AS ON 31-03- 2007) i. No of dug wells 15 ii. No of piezometers 20 1 8. PREDOMINANT GEOLOGICAL Charnockite, Sandstone, Laterite FORMATIONS and Alluvium. 9. HYDROGEOLOGY i. Major water bearing formations Weathered and fractured Charnockite, sandstone, Limestone and Alluvium ii. Pre- monsoon depth to water level (May 2006) 1.5 – 17.54 m.bgl iii. Post- monsoon depth to water level (Jan’2007) 0.04 – 7.46 m bgl iv. Long term water level trend in 10 years (1998- Annual 2007) in m/yr Rise (m/year) Fall (m/year) Min : 0.02147 Min : 1.2953 Max :0.0424 Max : 1.275 10. GROUND WATER EXPLORATION BY CGWB (As on 31-03-2007) Number of Exploratory wells i) Sedimentary tube wells’ 89 ii) Crystalline area bore wells 3 iii) Tsunami Relief well 1 iv. Depth range(m) 50– 750 v. Discharge(lps) a) Alluvium area 5 – 10 lps, d.d 0.5 to 2 m b) Cuddalore formation 20 – 65 lps d.d 2.5 to 9.6 m c) Gopurapuram formation 8.5 lps d.d. < 1 to 5.6 m d) Madhavapuram formation < 1 lps vi. Storativity (S) 7.72 x 10 -5 – 9.5 x 10 -3 vii. Transmissivity (m2/day) 438 –1900 11. GROUND WATER QUALITY AS ON MAY 2006 i. Presence of chemical constituents more than EC, Cl, NO 3 and F permissible limit ii. Type of water Cacl, Nacl and Mixed type 12. DYNAMIC GROUND WATER RESOURCES (as on 31.03.2004) in MCM i. Annual Replenishable Ground Water Resources 1564 ii. Total Annul Ground Water Draft for all purposes 1108 iii. Projected demand for Domestic and Industrial 39% Uses up to 2025 iv. Stage of Ground Water Development 67% 13. MAJOR GROUND WATER PROBLEMS AND 1. The quality of ground water in ISSUES. the fissured formation in some local pockets shows higher mineralisation, cases of local pollution. 2. The thermal power plant ashes, toxic traces elements pollute surface and groundwater system in the Thermal plant areas. 3. In the southeastern part of the district, heavy withdrawal from deeper zone is predominant (300 – 350 m bgl). 4. Some pockets show the Brine concentration as high as 1.5 Be. 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Administrative Details Cuddalore district is divided into 6 taluks. The taluks are further divided into 13 blocks, which further divided into 898 villages (Plate-I). Table-1 Area in No.of No.of S.No. Taluk Hectares Villages Block Villages 1 Cuddalore 56645 148 1. Cuddalore 77 2. Kurinjipadi 71 2 Panruti 56097 99 3 Annagramam 55 4. Panruti 44 3 Chidambaram 64582 189 5. Bhuvanagiri 55 6. Paranipettai 57 7. Keerapalayam 77 4 Kattumanarkoil 48523 165 8. Kattumanarkoil 76 9. Kumaratchi 89 5 Vriddhachalam 82247 135 10.Vriddhachalam 69 11.Kammapuram 66 6 Thittagudi 59687 162 12.Nallur 77 13.Mangalur 85 Total 367781 898 898 (Source: Dept. of Statistics, Cuddalore) 1.2 Basin and sub-basin Gadilam and Pennaiyar rivers in the north, Vellar and Coleroon river in the south. 1.3 Drainage The district is drained by Gadilam and Pennaiyar rivers in the north, Vellar and coleroon in the south. All these rivers are ephemeral and carry floods during monsoon. They generally flow from west towards east and the pattern is mainly sub parallel. The eastern coastal part near Porto-Novo is characterized by lagoons and back waters. Ponniyar is one of the major seasonal river drains the northern part of the district, which originates from the Nandi hills of Karnataka state. Thurinjalar and Musukundah rivers are the tributaries, which join the Ponnaiyar river, Malattar river is the distributory of the Ponnaiyar river. Vellar, is the other major seasonal river, which drains the major portion in the southern part of the district. Manimuktha, Gomukhi and Mayura are the major tributaries which join the Vellar river. 3 1.4 Irrigation Practices Generally, for agricultural purpose maximum amount of available water resources are utilized through minor irrigation schemes. The surface flow in the rivers can be observed only during monsoon periods. The deficient monsoon rainfall has effected the flow of surface water into reservoirs, anicuts, lakes etc. Hence under these circumstances the agriculturists have to totally depend upon an alternative source i.e., Ground Water to meet their irrigation requirement. In Cuddalore district, 593 tanks, 270 canals and one major reservoir serve as the main source for irrigation. Wellington reservoir is the major reservoir in Thittagudi taluk and Veeranam tank is the major irrigation source in Chidambaram and Kattumannarkudi taluks. In Cuddalore taluks Perumal Eri is the major surface irrigation source. The land use pattern of the district is provided as Table –2. Table-2 S.No Classification Area (Ha) 1 Forests 1415 2 Barren & Uncultivable Lands 14647 3 Land put to non agricultural uses 55875 4 Cultivable Waste 6072 5 Permanent Pastures & other grazing lands 608 6 Groves not included in the area sown 19716 7 Current Fallows 35588 8 Other Fallow Lands 19369 9 Net Area sown 219891 Total 367781 (Source: Asst. Director of Statistics, Cuddalore 2005-06) The block wise and source wise net area irrigated in Ha is given below (2005-06). Table-3 S.No Block Net area irrigated by Total Canals Tanks Tube Ordinary Other Net wells wells Sources Area irrigated 1 Cuddalore 0 0 13420 0 0 13420 2 Kurinjipadi 2519 3785 10891 0 0 17195 3 Annagramam 0 0 11130 0 0 11130 4 Panruti 90 437 7072 0 0 7599 5 Parangipepttai 8109 134 786 130 0 9159 6 Melbhuvanagiri 8034 155 4448 98 0 12735 7 Keerapalayam 8543 181 6731 318 0 15773 8 Kumaratchi 9795 76 1479 140 0 11490 9 Kattumannarkoil 6950 375 4940 80 0 12345 10 Vridhachalam 136 0 11339 648 0 12123 11 Nallur 1029 456 9814 798 215 12312 4 S.No Block Net area irrigated by Total Canals Tanks Tube Ordinary Other Net wells wells Sources Area irrigated 12 Kammapuram 1291 1271 8242 0 0 10804 13 Mangalore 88 234 2159 6432 15 8928 Total 46584 7104 92451 8644 230 155013 (Source:Asst. Director of Statistics, Cuddalore 2005-06) 1.5 Studies/Activities carried out by CGWB Central Ground Water Board has taken up deeper drilling and drilled 5 exploratory bore holes, 5 observation wells and on eastern part of the district. The depth of drilling ranged between 430 and 751.60 m bgl. For monitoring the piezometric head of the deeper confined aquifer by the board, the Central Ground Water Board has constructed 4 piezometers in the district. The Central Ground Water Board has completed systematic Hydrogeological studies and Reappraisal Hydrogeological surveys during the year 1983-84 and 1986-87 respectively. District Ground Water Management Studies covering parts of the district have been completed during the year 1999-2000, 2001-02. Studies for determination of the ground water extraction for various use in Cuddalore district was taken up as part of studies by the Board in different parts of the country in 2005.06. Coastal Aquifer Management studies in parts of district were taken up in 2006-07. In order to monitor the changes in ground water regime, regional monitoring of water levels and water quality and determination of long term trend of water levels and water quality, CGWB is monitoring 4 times in a year and water samples is collected in the months of May. 2.0 RAINFALL AND CLIMATE The district has a hot tropical climate. The summer season, which is very oppressive, is from March to May. The southwest monsoon, which follows, lasts till September. October to December constitutes northeast monsoon season. January to February is the comparatively cooler period. The annual normal rainfall for the period (1901- 2000) ranges from 1050 – 1400 mm. The normal annual rainfall over the district varies from about 1050 mm to about 1400 mm. It is the minimum around Vriddhachalam (1051.3 mm). It gradually increases and reaches a maximum around Chidambaram (1402.6 mm) and Portonovo (1347.1). The contributions of individual seasons are as follows: NE-57%, SW-31%, Summer- 7% and Winter 5%.